Metamorphosis
by PoisonedAngelous
Summary: One moment she was on her way home from a mission, the next she was standing over the dead bodies of missing-nin, or even civilians from a tiny village nearby.


Sometimes Hinata wondered if anyone noticed. It wouldn't surprise her if no one did, she did keep to herself too much. She knew one thing, though, and that it was Sakura who didn't notice anything. She didn't notice that, because Naruto was not only gone, but so oblivious that he never noticed her affections before, Hinata found someone new to love. While Naruto was away, Hinata found Sakura somehow more suitable. She was determined, smart, beautiful, strong. Everything Hinata wanted to be.

It started out as simple admiration, and somehow developed into love as Hinata and Sakura worked together, both in hospitals and on missions. Hinata was much more comfortable around the pink kunoichi than she was with Naruto, but whenever Hinata attempted to admit her feelings to Sakura, she found that she couldn't. The words would die in her throat, and she ended up pulling a random thought out of thin air to cover up for her lack of courage.

So Hinata watched, and waited for her chance to confess with messing it up. She noticed, how Sakura's angelic face would become sad at the subject of her absent teammates, how, when she had nothing to do, Sakura stared off into space with such a melancholy expression that Hinata knew that the kunoichi was thinking of Sasuke.

Then Naruto came back, and Sakura was happy again. Hinata realized that her love for the knuckleheaded ninja was still there, but was happy that it was not as strong as her love for Sakura. Hinata was not as worried anymore, because just as long as those two were happy, even if it was without her, she was happy, too.

The shy girl watched as they left to take Sasuke back and realized just how alone she really was. So Hinata worked, she trained as hard as she could, so that maybe she could be the one protecting others instead of having them protect her.

Sakura and Naruto came back injured, without the traitorous Uchiha. They looked so sad, though they tried to smile, Hinata knew that they were hurting even worse then before. It was all Sasuke's fault. Watching her two loves struggle to save a revenge-happy man who didn't want to be saved made Hinata realize just how much she hated the Uchiha.

It was his entire fault. If he hadn't left, her Sakura wouldn't be so sad, she wouldn't have to fake a smile all the time, she would actually be happy. As Sakura and Naruto left time and time again to retrieve him, her anger and hate increased, is Sasuke wasn't there, maybe Naruto would've paid more attention to her instead of fighting with him, Sakura would've noticed Hinata's increasing affections for her instead of daydreaming about Sasuke coming home.

That's when the blackouts began. Hinata would suddenly find herself in a different place then where she was before, one minute she was having lunch with her teammates and the next she was teetering off the edge of a cliff. One moment she was on her way home from a mission, the next she was standing over the dead bodies of missing-nin, or even civilians from a tiny village nearby. It scared her on those occasions, because the incredible feeling of the kill, the adrenaline, the feeling of blood smeared on her flesh, the taste of it on her kunai blade, it was all so addicting. She found herself asking for more and more missions outside of the village, and whenever the blackout never came, she would hunt it out.

Then a horrible miracle happened, Sakura and Naruto succeeded, walking through the gates carrying an unconscious Sasuke home. They looked so happy, that a true smile spread across Hinata's face. But, whispered a haunting voice in the back of the shy kunoichi's skull, you're not happy. You want to stay gone, so you can keep Sakura all to yourself.

Things got worse with Sasuke's return. The little voice was bloodthirsty, constantly reminding her how it felt to kill others, even innocents. It spoke to her of how it would feel to kill Sasuke, and anyone else who dared to get her way of having Sakura's heart. It gave the courage to finally approach Sakura.

"Sa-Sakura-chan, can I t-talk to you ab-about some-something?" Hinata was so nervous, but the pink kunoichi seemed utterly happy about something.

"Of course, Hinata-chan, I've been meaning to tell you something, too!" The bright smile, the glittering green eyes, it about made Hinata melt in her shoes. Suddenly, Sakura's hand was shoved into the Hyuuga's face, a sparkling diamond ring upon her finger. "Sasuke proposed, isn't it wonderful?" Hinata felt her world crack and shatter, but put on a happy smile, determined not to let Sakura see just how sad she was.

"Oh, y-yes. How wonderful,"

"What did you want to talk about, Hinata-chan?" Hinata shook her head.

"N-Nothing, con-congratulations, Sakura-chan!"

Hinata had to keep herself running away.

The blackouts came again, and the voice became stronger. She'd wake up in the middle of the night to find herself looming over a sleeping Sasuke and Sakura, completely unaware, with a kunai poised over the traitor's chest. Once, Hinata was startled to find herself sitting with her back to her door, dressed in a funeral kimono, her knees bound together with a tanto dagger in her hands, cutting gently into the bare flesh of her neck.

Hinata cried that night, and was comforted by the hateful murmuring of the little voice, begging her to kill Sasuke. After all, if he wasn't there, she could have Sakura. She vowed to kill him, and fell asleep stroking the tanto, dreaming of finally ridding herself of the Uchiha pest.

Hinata was confronted by an Akatsuki one day, catching her in the middle of slaughtering some stray civilians. He carried a large, black and red, triple bladed scythe. He was cute for a man, with silver hair slicked back and light violet eyes that rivaled her own. A necklace hung around his neck, an upside-down triangle in a circle. He grinned crazily, and spoke:

"Have you ever considered converting to Jashin?" Upon inquiring just what Jashin was, the little voice agreed with her with when she answered.

"Yes, I-I think I will." Joining Akatsuki was just a detail.


End file.
